Rust Red Iris - Right Bud and Hood

Firstly, DragonSally (for whom this iris is for) helped me by finding some more images of bearded irises.

This one is the closest in design, and photographic angle to the one I'm doing :



This picture below shows all of those inner parts of the iris and how complicated they are. No way was I going to try and reproduce that, any more that Trish Burr tried. I've stuck with my simple hood.


Right Bud :
I'm not 100% happy with the way this turned out. There are little problems with the shapes of various parts of the bud.

I put a line of split stitch in cream up the side, to delineate the vertical 'fold' but it doesn't quite look like the design.

I think the cream fringe ended up being a bit too small.

I do like the inner part.

Also, as I stitched the bud, the stitches in the long leaf next to it got all loose. I did some more stitches over the top and secured them down again, but I've obviously got tension problems.

There is some puckering down the right side of the bud, and a bit between the other bud and the stem as well.

I think this is partly because one of my cats sits on the frame at every opportunity, trying to grab my attention since the frame gets so much of my attention, so I'm constantly re-tightening the material.

Also, the frame is cracked at the top where the screw tightens it.

And, of course, any problems I've caused myself.



The Stem :

I did some more work on the stem, making the area of lightest green even. I also put in a bit more darkest green at the top. The stem looks at bit funny because it narrows just after it intersects with the long leaf. I might have to re-visit that (not now - I'll scream)

That's what takes so much time with this. Not laying down the stitches, but fiddling around laying down more stitches here and there and everywhere trying to get everything to look right.



The Hood :

I'm really pleased with this - especially since I took a risk and changed the design.

I used one strand of cream Madeira silk together with the 3 different colours of DMC each used to make the French knots for the beard, and I think it looks good. It makes it stand out a little.
I've noticed that over time as the piece gets worked on, the threads kind of .... retreat and get 'worn in'. French Knots don't end up standing up as much as they started off doing. Although stitches amalgamate together better. I think it's a hand pressure thing as I work on other parts.

I'm wondering whether to extend the beard down a little over that front petal, but that will have to be done after the front petal is done, which is the last one (working from the back petals to the front, - right then left then finally the front one, so it'd be the very last thing I'd do in the piece. I'll see.